The International Bamboo Organ Festival welcomes again the general public at St. Joseph’s Parish Church to attend the live concerts for the 48th year in a row.
The festival opens today with a gala performance for the sustaining members and sponsors of the International Bamboo Organ Festival with a repeat performance tomorrow and on February 25 featuring “Baroque Music from Europe and Latin America.”
Eudenice Palaruan will conduct an ensemble composed of the Collegium Vocale Manila (formerly Villancico Vocal Ensemble), the Manila Baroque Ensemble, and soloists Raphael Leone, piccolo (Austria), Carolyn Kleiner-Cheng, harpsichord, and Armando Salarza, organ.
On Saturday, February 25 at 5:00 p.m., David Kendall, Ph.D., visiting professor of music at UST, will give a lecture on “Music in the Philippines during the Spanish Era,” preceding the concert that follows at 8:00 p.m.
The yearly Festival Mass will be held on Sunday, February 26, at 4:00 p.m. at the San Ezekiel Moreno Oratory (SEMO) located along the C5 Extension in Pulanglupa, Las Piñas (Villar Sipag Compound). Presiding the celebration will be Fr. Sam Agcaracar, SVD, rector of the SVD Seminary in Tagaytay concelebrating with Msgr. Bobby Olaguer, parish priest of St. Joseph’s Parish in Las Piñas. Organists are Luc Ponet (Belgium) and Armando Salarza together with the Las Piñas Boys Choir directed by Rey Joseph Peña.
The guest organist of this year will be Luc Ponet, visiting the festival for the sixth time since 2001. Those who would like to hear the Bamboo Organ and the variety of sounds it can produce have to attend this recital scheduled for Monday, February 27. He will have two more organ recitals; one in San Beda Manila (February 25) and one in Betis, Pampanga (March 2).
The closing concert will be on March 2 at 8:00 p.m. at SEMO (800 seats) and on March 4 at 8:00 p.m. at St. Scholastica’s College Chapel for the performance of excerpts from the St. Matthew’s Passion by J.S. Bach. This masterwork will be heard for the first time in Manila, performed by the Collegium Vocale Manila and the Manila Baroque Ensemble under the competent direction of Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng. The first part will present music for the holy week with the Las Piñas Boys Choir and Armando Salarza at the organ.
Tickets are available at SM Tickets (www.smtickets.com) or you can call the Bamboo Organ office at 8825-7190 / 8820-0795 and look for Beth Dela Cruz.
You can also visit our new website at www.bamboo-organ.com for the latest news and updates about the festival, and don’t forget to follow our Facebook page, The International Bamboo Organ Festival.
